"The great affairs of state are worship and war." Many military matters of the Shang dynasty appear in the oracle bone inscriptions of the time, mostly as divinations concerning the auspiciousness of various military strategies and possible campaigns. From these inscriptions, we can infer much concerning the military situation of the Shang dynasty. Also, besides shedding light into ancient military affairs, this copious military lexicon is also a critical key to understanding the structure of ancient Chinese vocabulary.